by Lea Doué
“You know something of this,” Keir said, staring at Mel. His gaze bore into her as if he could read her thoughts.
It was time to tell them about her meeting with Tharius.
Chapter Nine
Mel took a gulp of tea and then licked her lips, glancing from face to face as they sat around the dining table at Cliffside, waiting for her to speak. “I know nothing of this letter, but I do know… something.”
“What do you mean?” Orin asked. His look of confusion hurt like a kick in the gut. She should have told him about her meeting with Tharius, if no one else.
“I don’t know how to explain. It still doesn’t make any sense, so I’m just going to jump right in and tell you. Please don’t be angry.” She explained about her walk the day before, going into too much detail about the hunting as she braced herself to say the name out loud. She took a deep breath. “You won’t believe it. I hardly believe it myself, but… Tharius found me and gave me a warning about—”
“You saw Tharius and you didn’t say anything?” Orin’s face turned purple. She’d never seen him that shade. “Wait—you didn’t take anything from him, did you?”
She glared at him. Couldn’t he give her some credit? “All I did was listen to his advice after paying for it with a squirrel.” That sounded odd even to her, and she’d been there.
“What do you mean you paid for his advice?” Baz said.
“Apparently you can get around the rule don’t take anything from the hand of a sorcerer if you hire them. I wasn’t taking any chances, though, so I only took his advice. And I still paid for it.” He’d made her pay, but she didn’t mention that detail.
Keir spoke again, his voice dangerously soft, each word delivered slowly. “What exactly did this sorcerer advise?”
She swallowed hard. “Don’t go to the palace.”
His face remained stoic.
Baz sat back as if she’d slapped him. “What does he know of the palace or my father?”
“I’ll tell you, but don’t be angry with me. I’m just repeating what he said.” She waited for a slight nod from Baz. “He warned that the king doesn’t intend to let you marry Vanda. The king wants her there so he can… so he can kill both her and Gram and end the curse that way. Like what the villagers were trying to do with me. But it won’t work.”
No one spoke, and the silence pressed on her. “I didn’t say anything before because Tharius is crafty and I don’t trust him. He obviously wants something from me, and he would say or do anything to get it. Baz, you know your father better than anyone, and you wouldn’t lead us to him if he were that type of person. Right?”
Baz rubbed a hand over his mouth and chin and mumbled, “Of course not.”
“Plus, we’ve been flying on a dragon, which is far faster than anything even Tharius could come up with. We’re not going to see him again. I thought I could handle him on my own without burdening any of you, but all I’ve done is prove again that I can’t make the right choices.”
Orin crossed his arms and slumped in his chair.
Vanda stared at Baz. “Could any of this be true?”
He avoided her gaze, brows drawn so low he almost appeared to be squinting. “Who understands how these things work? I can only guess my father is doing what he thinks best for our kingdom, but… I’d hoped the circumstances had finally made him see the pointlessness of his ambition of having me marry a princess.” He glanced at Mel. “I guess I was wrong.”
“Well, we can’t go to the palace now,” Orin said.
“We have to go now more than ever!” Vanda said. “Gram is there. He’s holding her hostage!”
“I’m not taking you there if my father plans to kill you,” Baz said.
Vanda stood and shoved her chair back under the table. “Who asked you to take me? I’ve been looking after myself for years before you showed up. I can get there on my own.”
“That’s not what I mean. I just want to keep you safe. You and Gram.”
“You already said she was safe. You were supposed to look after her. She was supposed to be able to stop running!” Vanda stormed from the room.
Baz rubbed his forehead but sat still, gaze fixed on the door.
Mel made a shooing motion with her hands. “Go after her. You always go after the girl. She may not want to hear what you have to say, but at least you’ll be there to show her you want to keep talking.”
Uncertainty warred with hope in his eyes, but he stood and took a hesitant step. Then another. Then a few more until he was gone.
Orin sighed loudly, arms still crossed.
“I’m not going to have to witness another lover’s tiff, am I?” Keir said.
Startled, Mel said, “What? No. I’ll grovel later.”
Orin pursed his lips against a grin, but it reached his eyes.
“Right now we need to figure out what to do,” she said. “We can’t go to the palace, but we can’t leave Gram there, either.”
“Obviously,” Keir said.
She sighed. “I’m just thinking out loud. Actually, I really want to know how the king found out I was here. Baz said messenger dragons weren’t reliable right now with the barrier up, and even so, they wouldn’t have had time to cross that great a distance.”
“Tharius?” Orin said.
She wouldn’t put it past Tharius to have set up the whole situation to make himself seem trustworthy. “Perhaps.”
Keir raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, mirroring Orin. “What’s your plan, then?”
“I don’t have a plan. Who’s had time to come up with a plan?”
Orin sipped his cold tea. “The king is expecting us to fly straight to the palace on our dragon, but I assume there are other ways to approach it than straight on.”
“I can only fly at night,” Keir said, “so why not go the back way?”
“Does the palace have a back way?” Orin said.
“This one does. It’s lightly manned, anyway.”
Mel glanced from one of them to the other. “We can sneak in and get Gram. Baz knows the palace layout. But once we get her out, then what? We go into hiding and dig another tunnel under the barrier?”
“That’s as good a plan as any.” Keir stood. “We can work on details later. Right now, I’m going to get some sleep. We won’t be going anywhere until tomorrow night.”
Mel gathered a leftover pork chop and glanced at Orin. “Want to help me feed the dragons?”
“Of course.” He grabbed a pitcher of water and a bowl, and they followed Keir out of the room.
Mel waved off the servant who offered to show them back to their rooms—she’d already made a map in her head as they walked. “I hope you’re not too angry with me.”
“I’m not angry. I’m just…”
He paused long enough for her to break out in a sweat. She didn’t want Orin angry with her.
“I’m frustrated. I understand your reasoning, but I thought you trusted me more than that.”
“I do trust you,” she said, and continued so quickly she almost tripped on her words, eager to reassure him that it was a misunderstanding. “I made another stupid decision, thinking I could handle things on my own. I just… I wanted to put Tharius out of my mind and concentrate on dealing with more immediate problems. I don’t want him to be involved in any of this, but I’m afraid he is tangled up in it somehow and we won’t be able to avoid him. Even flying on a dragon. I’m afraid he’ll find some way to catch up to us.”
Orin looked thoughtful. “I’m afraid so, too. Just promise you’ll tell me if you ever see him again. I doubt he’ll show himself to the rest of us, but maybe you could persuade him.”
“I’ll do what I can. Either way, I’ll keep you informed of what’s going on. But you have to trust my instincts, if it comes to it.”
He tucked the bowl under his arm and took her free hand into his own. “I do trust you, and I love your decisiveness and even your impulsiveness. But following every impulse has gotten you into tr
ouble before. Be careful around him, because he won’t hesitate to back you into a corner or try to manipulate you to get what he wants. He has entirely too much interest in your family.”
She thought about his words, both irked that he’d called out her impulsiveness and pleased that he loved that about her. She disagreed with one thing, though. “I don’t think he’s necessarily interested in my family so much as he’s interested in anything that will help him get revenge on Idris. I think he’s after something I have or can get for him that will help with that goal—but I’m stumped as to what it could be.”
Vanda wasn’t in the bedroom, so they decided to feed the dragons outside and let True get some fresh air. A servant informed them the courtyard would provide the best grazing for the goose, unless they wanted to take one of the spiral stairways to the valley level. After hearing the stairs took at least five minutes to descend, and longer to climb back up, they decided the courtyard was perfect.
True nipped grass while Mel peeked over the shoulder-high wall. The valley spread out below like a miniature painting, complete with thatch-roofed village and sparkling stream. She turned and slid into a sitting position with her back to the wall. Sprawled in the grass, they fed the dragons bits of pork chop while teaching them their new names.
Vanda arrived about a half hour later but said nothing about her argument with Baz. She smiled at Jade. The little brown-legged dragon, her belly already fat with food, wobbled after True, who searched for snails and slugs in the shade around the wall. Her brothers had fallen asleep.
Mel asked one of the servants for a wooden target, and she practiced dagger throwing with Vanda again. Orin watched for a while, but he eventually joined the snoozing dragons.
“Drat this dress,” Mel said, after stepping on the hem for the hundredth time. “I’m going to get something better to wear. Come with me?”
Vanda nodded, and they put the daggers away.
She kicked Orin’s foot. “We’re going to change clothes. I’ll take True and the babies inside.”
He waved in acknowledgment without opening his eyes.
After they settled the animals, a servant led them to the storerooms, and Mel wasted no time rifling through the baskets of clothes, shaking out one piece and tossing aside another. “Catch.” She tossed Vanda a pair of brown suede leggings and donned a pair in black dragon-wing leather that fell a little above her ankles. Not the first time she’d worn children’s clothes. She topped it with a hip-length tunic in burnt orange—not her favorite color, being rather too close in shade to her hair, but the only one that didn’t fit like a gown. She tied back her hair with a green ribbon.
“Which one?” Vanda held up two tops, and Mel pointed to the plum-colored tunic dress. It fit Vanda perfectly, falling just to her knees like it should.
“You should pick out a cloak while we’re here.” She ran her hand over a few hanging on pegs.
Vanda looked longingly at the thick cloaks. “I couldn’t take one of these.”
Mel flourished a bright green one in the air. “You’re not comfortable accepting Baz’s hospitality, are you?”
She rubbed her temples and then crossed her arms. “I’m unused to hospitality in general. I’m not entitled to any of this, and I don’t need anything from him.”
“I admire your independence.” She doubted she could have lived as Vanda had all those years, wandering from place to place, looking for a home. A safe place. All while keeping her Gram hidden from unfriendly eyes. “You know he would give you anything, right?”
Vanda shrugged.
“Just choose one to borrow for now. Wear it and notice the look on his face when he sees you in it. You don’t have to keep it when we leave.”
Shoulders slumped in defeat, Vanda chose one in deep brown to match the one Mel held. A small sigh of contentment slipped out as it settled around her shoulders.
“Nice, isn’t it?” They exchanged grins. “I do hope you got things straightened out with Baz earlier, otherwise it’s going to be awkward traveling so close the next day or two.”
Vanda sat on a pile of blankets. “We talked. He’s a good listener. Patient, even when I’m trying to find words to say. I know this isn’t his fault, and he did what he thought best for Gram.”
“You like him.”
“Maybe. Yes.” She wrapped the cloak around her. “We mind-talked a lot while they were digging the tunnel. He asked lots of questions no one ever asked before. Seemed to understand how it felt to be misunderstood. In some ways, even with the barrier between us, I felt less alone than I ever have, just by having him to talk to. It’s… different being around him. Harder to forget he’s a prince.”
There was more going on with Vanda than what she was letting on—more than not wanting to take a cloak or admit her attraction to a prince. Mel wanted to ask outright, but Vanda might clam up with that approach. What would Lily do? Or Gwen? They would be more tactful than Mel, that much was certain.
She searched for some fabric scraps to make slings for carrying the dragons, just in case, keeping her gaze off Vanda as she spoke. “I’ve got eleven sisters back home, which you already know. Some of them are more… um… talkative like me, and some are quiet. I’ve learned to watch the quiet ones. They say a lot even when they’re not talking.”
Vanda shifted in her seat, like she knew where Mel was headed with the conversation but didn’t want to admit it.
“You may have talked a lot with Baz, but I feel you’re not being entirely open with him, or with any of us. There’s something bothering you, and you should probably just get it out so we can deal with it and move on.”
A tear glistened on Vanda’s lashes, but she swiped it away quickly. “I think Gram will like you.”
Mel chuckled. “Well, if what you said about her driving Idris away is true, I like her already.”
Her lips twitched, and then her expression fell again. She took a deep breath, and then spoke softly. “It’s my fault you’re here, that the villagers thought what they did and snatched you to offer to the dragon.”
Goosebumps rose on Mel’s arms. Had she misjudged Vanda so badly?
Chapter Ten
No. Mel shook her head, refusing to believe that Vanda had willingly betrayed her to the villagers. “I don’t understand, but please stop laying blame and get to the point.”
So much for tact.
“All right.” Vanda stood and faced the door, as if she might bolt out of it once she’d said her piece. “I can’t read. I had to get one of the villagers to craft the letters Baz instructed me to send out for him. I swore her to secrecy, told her it was the prince’s business and she’d better not tell anyone or she would have to answer to him personally. I’m not sure she understood everything that was going on, but she was very interested in the curse. She spread just enough gossip about the involvement of a sorcerer to get people stirred up. I didn’t think any harm would come of their interest in finding a red-haired girl. We’ve never had anyone fitting that description travel through Greenway, as far as I know. I had no idea the story would spread so far. I’m sorry. I thought we’d have the barrier down in time. But then—”
“But then I showed up and messed up your plans.” Mel had traveled there on purpose to help, and she’d only made matters worse. “I make a mess no matter where I go.”
“No. I’m sure that’s not true.”
She could tell her a few stories, but why bother? “Well, at least I can help break the curse now, so that’s something.”
“We’ll do it together.”
“Right. Together.” She gave Vanda a quick hug and then blurted, “I can teach you how to read.”
Vanda blinked at her. “What?”
“You didn’t want to admit to Baz that you couldn’t read and write his letters, which caused some rumors, which I followed. I understand why you did it, but we’re not all like those villagers. From what I know of him, Baz won’t think any less of you because you didn’t learn to read or don’t ha
ve fancy clothes. I’ll teach you in secret if you wish, although it would probably make things better between you if you told him the truth.”
Vanda thumped back down onto the blankets. “You know a lot about these things, don’t you?”
She huffed. “I’m still learning, but I have so many sisters making mistakes alongside me that I can learn from them, too. That, and I’ve never been able to keep my mouth shut. If something’s bothering me, people will know about it.”
“You kept quiet about Tharius,” Vanda reminded her.
She wrinkled her nose. “Yes, well, things are complicated where he’s involved.” She folded a strip of green cloth that would make a perfect sling and handed it to Vanda. “I hate many of the choices he’s made, but… I understand his need for freedom. Problem is, he’s too focused on revenge to enjoy it. I’d lock him back up if I could.”
“But it’s impossible to lock away a sorcerer. They’re too powerful.”
Mel voice lowered. “No, it’s not. And I have no idea how he got out. It shouldn’t be possible.”
Vanda’s brows drew together in confusion.
“I’ll explain, but only because Baz will tell you eventually. I have a good feeling about you two, and it’s information that’s usually only taught to heirs and their siblings. More out of tradition than because anyone’s trying to keep it a secret.”
“I don’t understand.”
Mel sat on a barrel and folded another strip of cloth. “Every kingdom except Sotan and Rhodena has a tower that is impervious to sorcery. The soldier-king himself, down to his hair, was somehow immune to sorcery once the curse on him was broken. Most think it had something to do with the lingering effects of having been cursed into dragon form. Anyway, he had eleven locks of his hair bound into amulets and buried deep underground in each kingdom. Towers were built over them and sometimes entire castles or palaces sprang up around them.”
“I had no idea.”
“They haven’t been needed in ages. So you see? Tharius couldn’t have escaped unless he had help, but who would do that?” It was a question to be answered some other time.